Our Battalion Part 3

"What _am_ I to do? Straight along till I come to the cross roads, take the N.E. one, and keep on till I come in touch with the enemy? But----"

"Just ready, Sir. I am only asking for final instruc----" "Oh, No. 1 Section, right turn, quick march." Oh, bother, I've forgotten to slope the arms. "Slope arms, there!" By gad, that's a pretty poor start. What _is_ the Adjutant howling about? "That isn't the way to march an advanced guard. Where are my flankers?" "Just going to send them out, Sir." "Where's the section commander? On the sick list? Who is in charge then? Oh, you, Corporal. Have you ever been in an advanced guard before?

No? Why--oh, it's your first camp, is it? Any of the men been used to this sort of thing? You don't fancy so. Well, we must do the best we can. Take two men and examine that little wood on the right. I will halt the section at the corner till you rejoin."

Ullo, what does this cyclist want? "Captain Jones says, will I push on at once, as I'm stopping the whole column." "Oh! Forward." Hang me if I see the good of sending out flankers if you can't wait for them to examine anything. "Step out there, men, we're blocking the column."

Well, here are the cross roads. Oh, my sainted aunt, _Five_, an' not a blessed sign-post!

"Any of you men know which is the way to Muddiford? No?" I wonder which _is_ the N.E. road. I thought it was all bally rot getting maps and compa.s.ses, but I wish to goodness I had now. If there was only a gleam of suns.h.i.+ne it would help, but you can't even guess where the sun is through these clouds. Oh, d.a.m.n that cyclist! Oh, the Adjutant's swearing like old boots? Well, here goes. "Take the turning down the hill, boys, and push ahead as hard as you can." Thank goodness we seem to have got clear of 'em now, and by the powers, here's a villager.

"I say, is this right for Muddiford?" Why, we are coming away from it!

What the d.i.c.kens am I to do? "Is there a short cut from here?" "Yes!

yes! Down that lane, across the common to the wood, straight on till you get to the path, and that will take us right on to the main road long before the rest of the column can get there." Cheap at half-a-crown.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Fall in there. You shall have a rest when we pick the column up, we're a bit off the track. Yes, yes, over the fields and straight through the wood. Get ahead! What the deuce are you men opening out like that for?

You've always been told to spread out when going through a wood? Oh, all right." If they lose themselves it's their look-out. Where is this beastly path? At last! Which way do we go? Oh, er--er, curse it, that fellow didn't tell me. Let's see, we turned to the left and then again, so I think it must be to the right. Well, it can't be helped--here goes.

I daren't own up to the men that I haven't a notion where we are, but I haven't, and that's a fact. How this infernal path does wind about!

"What's that, Corporal? Here's a _sort_ of a road? _This_ isn't a main road. Well, the men must have a rest, so----Where's the rest of the section? There aren't more than half of them here. Expect they've gone back the way they came?" I'm beginning to wish _I_ had too.

"Corporal, there's no doubt that we've lost touch with the column. We must work our way along the road till we come across a house and find out where we are; unfortunately, I forgot to bring my map with me." _At last!_ a cottage. The men had better rest while I make a few inquiries.

"Oh, you're a stranger in these parts? But, my good woman, is there any place where I can find----The Red Lion? Where's that? Just down the road, where those soldiers are running to?" Well, I'm----!

[Ill.u.s.tration:]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Fair Samaritan.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Our N.C.O.'s (No. 1).

_Captain:_ "Look here, Corporal, you know the great object of the new system is to train the N.C.O.'s to act on their own initiative and responsibility. Now I want you to take a couple of men--understand? Two men, and advance along the main road and select a position commanding a good view of the road, where your sentry can see without being seen--understand? Now you should choose if possible a place giving some shelter for your men, as you are to imagine you've got to occupy it for twenty-four hours, and it ought to be so chosen that you could offer a certain amount of resistance if attacked--understand? You're in absolute command, and you are to do whatever you think best under the circ.u.mstances, keeping in mind the object for which you were sent out--understand?"

_Corporal:_ "Yessir."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Our N.C.O.'s (No. 2).

The Position the Corporal selected.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Hints for Patrols.

"When reconnoitring a village, one of the inhabitants should be detained and questioned."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Best Laid Schemes, etc.

That able and efficient officer, Captain Smith, had prepared a really beautiful ambush that would have put the opposing force out of action without a doubt, had not this happened just before the psychological moment!]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CAMP DIARIES

No. 1.

Lt.-Col. Sir DIGBY SANDILANDS, M.P.

_Sat.u.r.day._--Wretched morning. Hunter tells me the barometer is falling again. We really get terribly bad luck with the weather. I know what it will be--we shall get to camp wet through, and find everything absolutely sodden. Wish I had sent Hunter on yesterday to look after things. Lady Sandilands says it's perfectly absurd going on a day like this; suggests that I should go later when everything is straight. Women take the most extraordinary views of one's duty to the country, but really, under the circ.u.mstances, I almost wish it were feasible.

Williams has just come up to say that Brown Bess is very lame, shall he get Sultan ready? It is really most annoying: he positively hates the band, while old Bess is as steady as a rock.

Sharpe & Sharpe write me about those mortgages. I really ought to see them. If I caught the express to town I could settle the matter, and then get to the camp about the time the Battalion should arrive. Major Strahan would take charge of them; he rather likes doing it, I fancy. If there's nothing important to see to I think that's what I must do, but it is extremely annoying after looking forward to the week and making all arrangements.

The girls very disappointed; say it's not worth while going to see the Battalion start if I'm not there. Promise them they shall have a wire letting them know the exact time of our return. They say that's not the same thing, as we invariably come back smothered in dust and looking generally disreputable. They seem to regard the whole thing as a mild form of amus.e.m.e.nt for them. Have arranged everything with the Adjutant.

Capital fellow. Really relieves me of no end of little worries.

_Sunday._--Arrived rather later than I expected last night. Found they had had rather a bad time getting here, but everything seemed all right; hope it is; always like the men to start camp in a good temper. We parade fairly strong, but men not so smart as I should like to see them.

I must impress it on the company officers to look after that sort of thing rather more carefully.

Church parade not improved by slight drizzle; but the chaplain very sensibly shortened the service. Quite forgot to provide myself with anything for the collection; asked the Adjutant if he could lend me something; he had only half-a-crown and a sovereign; so--well, I suppose it's for a good cause. Inspected camp this afternoon, seems fairly comfortable. Our mess president tells me he has had a lot of bother with the caterers, but he hopes it will be better in a day or two. I sincerely hope it will.

_Monday._--Pa.s.sed a terribly bad night. Camp may be a pleasant change for younger men, but it really is a great trial in many ways for commanding officers. I find one misses what are usually termed, I believe, "home comforts." The work to-day is to be confined to sections and the training of the N.C.O.'s. This new drill reads simple enough in the book, but the men don't seem to catch on to it as quickly as they should; but really everything has so changed of late years that one hardly likes to criticize. Spoke to the Adjutant about it; he says they're doing quite as well as he expected. Very irritating order from headquarters to the effect that as we are a manoeuvres camp, officers will not dine in mess dress. A most senseless order; if they allow us mess tents and board floors, and things of that sort, why on earth can't they allow us to dine as gentlemen?

[Ill.u.s.tration: Reserves.]

_Tuesday._--Weather improving, am happy to say. To-day's training, I believe, is to be left in the hands of the company commanders; field officers to exercise general supervision. On the whole, not bad, although I doubt if they will be able to carry out my commands as intelligently as I could wish without a tremendous amount of explanation. I must impress upon them the importance of grasping the idea of the commands, at the same time acting on their own initiative, otherwise we shall have endless confusion.